Grant Park

Grant Park was gifted to the town by one of its most famous sons, Sir Alexander Grant.

It contains a large park area with a natural arena. Along its boundaries are the Cluny Hill woodlands, St Leonard’s Road, the high street and a car park.

Along the northern edge is a traditional floral garden and a sunken garden. Both form the centrepiece for competition entries such as Scotland in Bloom. Forres has won many accolades for its gardens over the years, including a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for the team who consistently tend the gardens year after year.

The sunken garden was built on the site of Forres House which was sadly destroyed by fire in 1970.

Also in the park, you’ll find:

• Cricket pitch and pavilion
• Food kiosk and toilets
• Fenced play area and swings
• Bowling green and pavilion
• Benches

Sale of the century

Grant Park has been in the hands of the local community for 100 years. It’s large natural arena is regularly used for cricket matches, but it also lends itself well to large spectator events, such as the Highland Games which have been played here for many years. Between 2013 and 2018, the European Pipe Band Championships were held in the park attracting up to 15,000 people from all over the world.

Forres House and its gardens were put up for sale in 1922 and the £5000 needed to buy them was gifted by Alexander Grant. He gave them an additional £1000 for the layout of a public park in 1924.

A ten-foot-high wall that screened the 32-acre piece of land from the high street was removed, and the grounds were made into a public park and named in Sir Alexander’s memory.

Lady Grant opened the park on the 27 August 1924, and its 100-year anniversary will be celebrated in 2024 on the same date.